Retractable coupler for pilots



Dec. v30, 1952 Filed July 22, 1946v Dec:f 30, 1952 H. H. woLFE 2,623,645

, RETRACTABLE COUPLER FOR PILOTS Filed July 22, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 4 7 /8 4d 4" .7 7 I6 V j Y 8 6 A L I 'L A'rroRNEYs Patented Dec. 30, 1952 RETRACTABLE COUPLER FOR PILofiS Harry H.. .Wolfe-,Columbus Ohio,A assisnor `tofThe Bue-keys Steel Castings Company Colu,nms.`

Ohm

Application-'July `22, 194:6.,` Serial Ni).l 685,333

(Cl. Z13-v4) This invention relates to improvements-,in retractable couplers for use at an end of a diesel or steamtlocomotive.

SuchLa coupler combined with a pilot provides afstreamlined front end for alocornotive and also serves asasafety feature, as a protruding coupler tends to `contribute to locomotive derailment whenapland vehicle is struck at a grade crossing; Aprojecting coupler tends to pierce and hold. the1vehicleover the tracks, making it possibleffor it .to rollunder thelocomotive and cause a derailment.` On the other hand, if a retractablecoupler is combined with .a smooth sloping front end of. the locomotive; the construction will tend to lift'the vehicle and throw it `to one side of-the tracks.

In myjpatent 2;400,58l, I have disclosed a construction ,to` accomplish the `desired objects, but in the present applicatioml am` illustrating. and describing a modification employing a tightlock couplet-and draftggear; andthe present-constructiongdiiiers; from the one disclosed in said patenti thefollowing respects.

l. A; tightlock coupler is used, which requires provision-for; vertical `swivel of the coupler as welliashorizontal swivel;` ThisV is accomplished by the use of a cylindrical` gear pocket in the yoke. The central portion of the draft gear is also` cylindrical which,` permits limited vertical swivel of the coupler and yoke as a. unit.

2.` A horizontal buiier cast ,integral with the pilot-door-and extending over the coupler to within about 2- of thepulling face of. the knuckle, is employed. The buffer is used onV locomotives in passenger train.` service for the platform buffers on thecars to strike` against. The face of therbuffer used is cast` solid, although it is obvious resilient means could be` used, such as a rubber block ora spring arrangement.

3. The `rear draft lugs are cast integral with the pilot door vbutthe frontv draft lugsare separate `and removable, and are held in place by tapered wedges. Byremoving the two wedges, the` spring Acoupler and yoke carrier, the coupler yokeaand draft gear can be removed through the Vfront opening.;

4., The coupler operatingrods are4 mounted on the pilot door` and caribe retractedfwith the coupler without disconnecting any parts.

My invention includes the various novel fea., tures of `construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more `definitely specied, and illus trated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawing.:

Fig. l'isiafragmentaryfront elevationof apilot lOVv provided with my improvements and with certain parts in4 vertical cross section and other parts removed to facilitate illustration.A

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the retractable coupler and door, partly inhorlzontal section.-

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View -of a detail taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View of a detail taken onthe line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a'longitudinal vertical sectional View taken in general on the line 5--5 of Fig., 1 and showing the coupler and the yoke andthe draft gear in side elevation.

Fig. 6 is a sectional View taken on the line 66 of Fig.` 2.

Referring to the drawings, l designates a pilot having an opening or doorway 2 at its front lead ing to a recess within the pilot. In accordance with the invention, a door structure 3 is pivotally mounted in the pilot for movement about a vertical axis, and, for this purpose, a depending stud l is secured to the roof 4a of the pilot recess by means of bolts 4b or the like, and snugly engages abearing lc formed by atop wall dof the pilot door structure.

Immediately below the part 4, a hollow stud 5 is detachably secured by bolts 5a or the,like, to thebottom wall 5b `of the pilot, and the part 5 provides a bearing for a trunnion 5d extending downwardly from the door structure. It is obvious that a construction of this character `will permit the ready attachment of the pilot door structure ,to the pilot or theremoval of such structure therefrom.

A tightlock coupler 6- is connected to av yoke] having cylindrical surfaces la and lb, struck from a center lc for the purpose of permitting the coupler and yoke to turn about the axis 1c. The arcuate surfaces 'la and 1b permit the coupler to angle vertically. The coupler is connected to the front end of the yokeby a vertical pin 8, which allows the coupler to pivot about the-axis ci ,thepin A draft gear Shaving a cylindrical central portion to cooperate withthe surfaces 'la `and 1b of theyoka extends through the latter for cooperation with front and rear draft lugs, .as will be explained later.

A. shelf or protruding lip il! projects from the bottom vportion of the front of the yoke to form a supporting surface on which `the portion Hof the coupler shank slides laterally.

The front end portion of the'yoke is supported by a `spring' carrier l2rsecured to-the door struc,- ture-by boltslZa or the like.

The draft gear cooperates with vertical rear draft lugs I3 integral with the side walls of the draft gear pocket of the pilot door structure. The draft gear also cooperates with front draft lugs I preferably of A-shape in horizontal section and each provided with a wedge pocket to receive a wedge pin l extending through the top and bottom portions of the door structure provided with the draft gear pocket, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. Obviously, the removal of the front draft lugs will facilitate introduction of the yoke or draft gear into the pocket or the removal of these parts therefrom.

The pilot door structure has an unapertured web it arranged diametrically opposite the mouth of the pocket which receives the draft gear and yoke, and the web it when closing the opening 2, conforms to the shape of the front surface l'i of the pilot. The 4opposite portion of the door structure carries a horizontal projection l which extends over the coup-ler to provide an abutment for vestibule buffers on passenger cars when coupled to the locomotive. The buffer is used only when the coupler is in use, and it is, therefore, made to retract with the coupler.

The operating mechanism for the coupler is composed of handle shafts ii, pivotally mounted in brackets 2li and 2l, xedly arranged within the door structure. Rods 22 are hooked on to the coup-ler rotary operating levers at 23 (Fig. 1) and welded to connecting links Ell. The latter have keyways Z5 slidably engaging keys 2t extending lengthwise of the shafts i9 so that the parts 2t can slide along the shafts to accommodate coupler swivel. As the keys 2li are welded to the shafts i9, the rods 22 will be caused t0 rotate whenever the shafts it are turned. As may be seen from Fig. 3, this is accomplished by means of a handle il connected to an arm lla. fixed to shaft IS, and the handle, of course,

extends through a hole 35 in the front lla of the pilot door structure so that it may be readily manipulated by a trainman. It may be seen that the operating mechanism is all back of the front surface il of the pilot with the exception of the handle 2l.

rfhe coupler is releasably retained in the extended position shown in Fig. 2 by locking means 3S shown in dotted lines at the upper right hand corner of Fig. l. The details of such locking means are disclosed in the Wolfe Patent 2,405,584 which include a sliding bolt (not shown) adapted to enter a socket in the pilot and maintaining the door structure in the position shown in Fig. 2. The locking means Prevents free rotation of the door structure and the coupler during movements of the locomotive.

When the coupler is to be retracted, it is manually shifted on its pivot 8 until the guard arm side of the coupler engages a wall 23 (Fig. 2) at one side of the coupler pocket. Such manual movement of the coupler may be made after the locking means is detached from the sleeve 3l. Additional force applied to the coupler 6 will cause the door structure 3 to be rotated about the axis of the bearings fic and 5. Further rotation of the door structure will bring the web por tion it into a position closing the opening 2 at the front of the pilot recess. This web I@ conforms 'to the shape and curvature of the front surface Il of the pilot and thereby provides an unapertured surface at the front of the locomotive devoid of any pockets or cavities.

, From the foregoing, it is believed the construction. operation and advantages of my invention 4 may be readily understood and it is apparent that changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A locomotive pilot having an internal pocket and a doorway opening into the pocket at the front of the pilot, a door structure pivotally mounted in the pocket and having at one side thereof a wall for substantially completely closing said doorway, and at the opposite side thereof a similar wall for partially closing said doorway, said latter wall having a recess, a retractable coupler connected to the door structure and extending into the recess of the last-mentioned wall, and a substantially horizontal buffer projection rigidly united with the door structure arranged above the coupler and extending through the doorway opening when the coupler is in coupling position.

2. A locomotive pilot having an internal pocket and a doorway opening into the pocket at the front of the pilot, a door structure pivotally mounted in the pocket and having at one side thereof a wall for substantially completely closing said doorway, and at the opposite side thereof a similar Wall for partially closing said doorway, said door structure having a recess therein, a retractable coupler connected to the door structure and extending into the recess, and coupler operating means mounted on the door structure to move therewith and be retracted with the coupler without disconnecting any parts.

3. A locomotive pilot having a doorway at the front thereof and a recess communicating with the doorway, a pilot door structure pivotally mounted in said recess, a coupler operatively connected to the pilot door structure and adapted to project through said doorway, and operating means for the coupler comprising a rock shaft mounted in the door structure, a handle for the rock shaft extending forwardly of the door structure, a member slidable along the shaft and keyed thereto for rotation therewith, and a rod xedly connected to said member and operatively -connected to the coupler.

4. A retractable coupler and door assembly for a railway vehicle comprising, a pilot having a recess therein open at the front of the pilot, a door structure mounted for movement in said re cess, including a wall adapted to close the opening at the front of the pilot in one position of the door structure, a coupler secured to the door structure adapted to extend through the opening at the front of the pilot in another position of the door structure, and a buffer projection carried by the door structure above the coupler extending through the opening at the front of the pilot when the coupler is in an operative position.

5. A retractable coupler and door assembly for a railway vehicle comp-rising, a pilot having a recess therein open at the front of the pilot, a door structure mounted for movement in said recess, including a wall adapted to close th-e opening at the front of the pilot in one position of the door structure, a coupler secured to the door structure adapted to extend through the opening at the front of the pilot in another position of the door structure, a buffer projection integral with the door structure, said buffer projection being positioned above the coupler and extending through the opening at the front of the pilot when the door structure is in second position.

6. In a retractable coupler unit fora locomotive, a pilot having a recess therein open at the front of the pilot, a door structure mounted for rotation Within said recess, a wall carried by the door structure adapted in one position to close the opening at the front of the pilot, a coupler connected to the door structure for swinging movement relative thereto and adapted to extend through said opening in another position of the door structure, means including a shaft journalled for rotation on the door structure for operating the coupler, a second wall on the door structure, and means extending through the second wall for turning said shaft.

7. In a retractable coupler unit for a locomotive, a pilot having a recess therein open at the front of the pilot, a door structure mounted for rotation within said recess, a wall carried by the door structure adapted in one position to close the opening at the front of the pilot, a coupler connected to the door structure for swinging movement relative thereto and adapted to extend through said opening in another position of the ydoor structure, a shaft journal-led for rotation on the door structure, a second wall on the door structure, means extending through the second wall for turning said shaft, an elongated key carried by said shaft, a `link slidable on said shaft and restrained against relative rotation thereon by said key, and a coupler operating rod secured to said link and connected to the coupler to move with the coupler.

8. In a retractable coupler and door assembly for a railway vehicle, a pilot having a recess therein open at the front of the pilot, a door structure pivotally mounted in said recess and having a Wall at one side thereof for substantially closing said recess, said door structure having a cavity therein, rear draft lugs carried by the door structure within said cavity, front draft lugs having holes therein, tapered pins extending into said holes deta-chably securing the front draft lugs to the door structure, a draft gear assembly within the cavity cooperating with the front and rear draft lugs, and a coupler voperatively connected to the draft gear assembly.

9. In a retractable coupler and door assembly for a locomotive, a pilot having a recess therein open at the front thereof, a door structure mounted for movement in said recess, .a wall carried by the door structure for closing the opening at the front of the pilot in one -position of the door structure, said door structure having a cavity therein, rear draft lugs integral with the door structure within said cavity, front draft lugs having vertically disposed wedge-shaped holes therein, wedge-shaped pins extending through said holes and into apertures in the door structure, a draft gear assembly within the pocket operatively associa-ted with said lugs, and a coupler connected to said draft gear assembly.

HARRY H. W OLFE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,603,661 Christianson Oct. 19,` 1926 1,804,345 Kiesel May 5, 1931 2,249,184 Small July 15, 1941 2,292,193 Blomberg Aug. 4, 1942 2,329,285 Metzger Sept. 14, 1943 2,386,476 Kinne et al Oct. 9, 1945 2,400,584 Wolfe May 21, 1946 2,439,762 Travilla et al Apr. 13, 1948 2,454,514 Kayler 1 Nov. 23, 1948 

